The lull in local government politics between elections, congratulations, commiserations and the start of a new three year term offers a hiatus for political commentators like myself. This quiet time provides space for reflection on more global issues and their impact here in New Zealand.

With only three weeks until the most powerful nation on Earth elects a new leader, the American election naturally fills the vacuum. From a New Zealand perspective I’ve never witnessed such extraordinary interest in an American election before. Everybody is talking about it, everybody has an opinion.

It’s ground hog day for mainstream media (MSM). TV, the press, and radio are having a ball at Trump’s expense. On one day this week I counted ten anti-Trump articles in the on-line Herald alone. All the comment was glib, self-serving and mostly a re-hash of other mainstream media sensationalism from around the globe.

It reminded me of similar content from MSM during the Brexit debate when the same treatment was handed out to UKIP leader Nigel Farage. It reminds me of the MSM pack attack on Don Brash and the Hobson’s Pledge movement. Methinks the media doth protest too much.​Here is an alternative view on Trump from a black American that would never see the light of day in the Herald or be heard on Red Radio (Radio NZ as it is unaffectionately known).

Now before you “unfriend” me, insult me, crucify me, and call me “deplorable”, at least hear me out first. Especially since I'm probably one of the few black people you might actually know who is voting for him.

Personally, I don’t like him either. I think he’s an absolute jerk. A narcissistic, egotistical jerk. He’s vulgar. He's offensive. He's petty. He’s inappropriately sarcastic. He’s a horrible speaker without a script. He has the temperament of a 12 year old. He has absolutely no political correctness. He's practically allergic to apologizing. And if you criticize him, he will probably start calling you all sorts of idiots and losers!

A world class jerk.

But then I reflected on what’s been happening in this country under our current leadership for about the past 8 years.

Here he lists many of the woes inflicted on middle America by the progressive liberal elites epitomised by Obama.

And I remembered how frustrated and angry I've been with what’s been happening in this country. Frustrated with all of these so called “leaders” we hired to actually handle this stuff. Frustrated at how much they all talk a really great game and deliver really inspiring speeches, but never seem to actually get anything accomplished. Frustrated at how dysfunctional they've been these past 8 years. Frustrated at how their dysfunction has impacted the economy. How that dysfunction has impacted companies I've worked for. How that dysfunction has destroyed so many innocent lives and affected entire communities of people.

And I concluded that as much as I love my country – it needs change. Major change. Drastic change. And that change starts with our leaders. And quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of all of these politicians. Republicans. Democrats. Libertarians. The Green people. All of them.

​After witnessing such ridiculous behavior from all of these so called "leaders" in Washington for the past 8 years, I have lost faith in our government. I have lost faith in the ‘system.’ I have lost faith in the people who ‘run’ the system. The integrity of how they operate. The decisions they make. The actions they take. The actions they don’t take. I have lost faith in the idea that they will actually get anything accomplished. That they will actually do what’s in my best interest versus what’s in the best interest of their own hidden agenda. Or even worse, what’s in the best interest of someone else’s hidden agenda.

They say the definition of insanity is "continuing to do the same thing but expecting different results." I've seen how these politicians operate. Repeatedly. So now I’m willing to try something and someone completely different.

Yeah, he's a total jerk. No question. But then again, I'm not really hiring someone to be my ‘buddy’. Nor am I hiring someone to crack some good jokes. Or sing ‘Amazing Grace’ really well. Or have a super cool walk. With a great smile. Or fill out a great NCAA march madness bracket. Or deliver a beautifully writtenspeech that makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

I'm hiring someone to actually get results. I'm hiring someone to do an insanely tough job. Arguably, the toughest job in the country. Possibly the toughest job in the world. And part of that job will require marching into Washington DC, going toe to toe with many of these ridiculous politicians and kicking some ass. Get in there and completely turn things around. Totally change the game. Turn the whole system upside down. And come out with some actual results. Big results. Create jobs. Negotiate huge deals. CREATE JOBS. Dig us out of this horrible financial situation. Make us profitable again. Propose really big ideas. Appoint awesome people to handle those ideas.

CRE-ATE JOBS! Get major results. Win!

And though I don't like him personally, I had to admit that Donald Trump has demonstrated that he knows how to do every single one of those things. And quite well.

Yes, he's a jerk. But he's a jerk that seems to know how to actually bring real change and get results. And with all the dysfunction and corruption in Washington, maybe a rude, blunt, offensive jerk is just what we need if we want real change to happen. Especially a jerk that seems to know how to shake things up and actually get things done.

That's just about my take on things. He concludes:

Despite everyone who initially laughed at his candidacy. Despite everyone who initially said “he might be a great businessman, but he knows nothing about politics.” Despite everyone who initially said he’s just a reality TV star and refused to take him seriously. Despite everyone who insisted he’ll just fade away. He didn’t just prove everyone wrong. He didn’t just do well. He didn’t just go far in the process. He didn’t just become the Presidential nominee. He completely dominated. From day one. He dominated every political conversation. Every day. He dominated the news. Everyday. He dominated every one of his competitors – 16 of them. Every day. For an entire year. He completely changed the game. Broke all of the political rules. Made completely brand new ones. And he turned the entire political world upside down. Possibly forever.

Looking for real "change?" So far Donald Trump has been the poster child.

And what exactly did his marketing efforts produce? He received the most primary votes in the entire 162 year history of the Republican party. Political opinions aside, anyone would have to admit that those kind of results are yuuuuuuuge!

If he’s able to run our country’s finances anywhere near as efficiently as he ran the finances for his Presidential campaign, then in the music lyrics of Kendrick Lamar: "We Gone Be ALL-RIGHT!"

If Trump gets elected then MSM has got it wrong again, just like they did over Brexit. Worse still President Trump might just turn out to be OK. If that happens then the world as MSM has portrayed it to themselves and the nation is very different from reality.

Maybe the little people have got it right and mainstream media no longer reflects mainstream thinking. Maybe it is the media pundits who are out of touch with the underlying discontent of a growing number of solid middle of the road Kiwis who work hard, pay for society’s ‘protected’ elites (including MSM), and for their trouble get called racists. Maybe MSM is a relic of the past, like the philosophy it peddles. .​​The real fear underlying the uncritical hysteria of MSM is that very soon the boot may be on the other foot.

I think the anti Trump vitriol in the MSM has signalled the end of the line for all independent thinkers prepared to read beyond a headline and question the basis for most articles. Sadly many people who's opinion I once respected have allowed themselves to swallow the spin and believe the bullshit. I have never witnessed such concerted action by the establishment on this scale before, and that alone ought to send a strong signal to the people that we need a disruptive candidate to succeed. As your reference says, we need someone who has walked the walk. Trump has succeeded in business, from positions of strength and in times of adversity. I doubt Hillary Clinton has ever experienced adversity, and I doubt very much she could return from 4 bankruptcies to become a billionaire. And whilst Trump is indeed in some ways an unpleasant character, since when has a man's character been an issue in politics? Kennedy? Churchill? Hardly enjoyed reputations as nice people, but in their own ways damned effective leaders.

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Eddie

15/10/2016 03:42:56 pm

Couldnt agree more with this Jo. Incredibly well put.
Donald Trump, love him or hate him, he has to be better than the current crop of politicians the Western world has had. We need leaders like Trump and Farrage to stop corruption and to stop our current crop of leaders destroying the world we live in.

Most of us are over the PC bullshit. Most of us are over our governements being democratically elected then dictating to us and wandering off on their only little paths totally ignoring the real reasons we elected them for.

We need leaders that are there for the people, and not for them selves or for what ever agendas they follow. Time has come for the Farrages, Trumps, Peters, to rise up and take back the West.

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RockyJ

17/10/2016 08:21:44 am

Trump mirrors the worst in us. He plays to our fears.
He promotes himself as the superman who has the clever solutions to our insecurities. Who else did that in history?
In fact he has no answers. Can you not see how short he is on specifics?
This is because there are no simple quick fix answers. 'More protection for American jobs' 'Attack our enemies' are not solutions to complex problems. There probably are no solutions. Governments cannot solve complex problems driven by societal trends.
Trump is not harmless. People thought Hitler was harmless. He is a narcissist whose lack of impulse control represents a risk to civillization. He appeals to insecure people who dream of the brilliant solution where there is none.
Progress happens in small steps taken by individuals in a context of opportunity. It is government's role to ensure there is the opportunity. Nothing more.

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asterix

17/10/2016 02:16:02 pm

Well said RockyJ.
I look at the rise of Trump/Drumpf the politician and the resurgence of spitefulness and bigotry in modern society and I now know what my great grand parents and grand parents would have felt seeing rise in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Francoist Spain. I can now also understand how intelligent people bought into this propaganda and bile, or just stood back doing nothing until it was too late.
Americans by in large are good people, I hope come election day in the USA they make the right choice for the whole world's sake.

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Andy

18/10/2016 04:59:37 pm

A famous phrase comes to mind RockyJ when I read your post. "Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day, But They Were Laying Bricks Every Hour" - Quite clearly there are problems in the world when the 2 candidates for arguably the most important / powerful job in the world are wasting their time slagging each other off and not focusing on polices which improve the lives of those they aspire to lead, and those whose engage with the their nation to improve the lives of all in the world, or the shambles that is 'Brexit' which could be argued is driven by a deep seated fear or loathing of immigration and what might be taken away from a people who believe that are the only one with rights...and I could go on. My worry is the focus on the need for drastic change, the bigger the better and the quicker the better - History, does not always depict the future, but can certainly show the human race the caution needed. We have evolved to where we are today and we should evolve to a better place. Revolution is not always the answer....Rome wasn't built in a day

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Darius Traynor

23/10/2016 07:23:42 am

Great to see you're alive, well and still filling your retirement by penning absolute tripe Jo. Also good to see that you still have a small group of equally marginalised and irrelevant tossers endorsing your inane ramblings.

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RockyJ

27/10/2016 05:15:32 pm

Leave our Jo alone, Darius. We don't always agree with her (but generally do) but I, for one love her intelligence, forthrightness, and her research.
You TROLL.